On Stanley Cup Final media day, Vegas Golden Knights coach John Tortorella repeatedly redirected questions about himself, his staff and past experience—insisting he just wants to talk about the team. The message came with Game 1 set for Tuesday, June 2, at 8 p
Monday’s Stanley Cup Final media day didn’t sound like a typical curtain-raiser. Instead of answering questions about himself, Vegas Golden Knights bench boss John Tortorella kept steering every conversation back to what’s directly in front of him: the team, and the round ahead.
Asked what his accomplishments this year have meant to him thus far, Tortorella didn’t go there. “I just don’t want to go into me. I’d just rather talk about the team,” he said. “I’ve been very fortunate to have the opportunities I have had. We’re getting ready for the Finals. That’s where I’d like to go, as far as answering questions.”.
The pattern held when the questions shifted to his coaching staff. When asked about assistant coach Dominique Ducharme, Tortorella again redirected the focus. “Again, I’d like to talk about the team,” he said, before giving credit to his assistant. “but I will talk about Dom and the staff… I am very fortunate to have that staff. I don’t think they want me to get involved in talking too much about them because they’re focused on the team. You have no chance as a coach coming in if you don’t have a staff like I have.”.
Even when the discussion moved to Martin St. Louis—his former player and now head coach of the Montreal Canadiens—Tortorella kept his gaze fixed on the present. “We’re getting ready for the Finals here. The nostalgia, all that stuff, I’m not going there,” he said. “Marty’s a hell of a coach. Hell of a person. Very good friend of mine. I’d just rather talk about the game itself coming up here.”.
The insistence on staying on message didn’t go unnoticed. When general manager Kelly McCrimmon was asked a question, he interrupted the reporter with a joke: “Afraid to ask John?”
The way Tortorella handles the media has long been part of his public identity. He’s known for his fiery. often contentious relationship with the press—an approach that recently cost the Golden Knights a hefty fine and a second-round draft pick after the team skipped a post-game availability altogether following a second-round win.
Through all of it, his current focus appears unchanged. With the Stanley Cup Final set to begin, Tortorella isn’t offering much beyond what he says matters most: getting ready for the Finals.
Game 1 goes Tuesday, June 2, at 8 p.m. ET on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+.
John Tortorella Vegas Golden Knights Stanley Cup Final Dominique Ducharme Martin St. Louis Kelly McCrimmon Game 1 Sportsnet